Hello Everyone

K

Ken Tanaka

Guest
As a new member here I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm an advanced amateur / semi-pro photographer that's been shooting all-digital in the Canon system (currently a 10D and 1D Mark II) for a while. Honestly, I love Canon cameras and lenses and suspect that it will be my primary digital platform for the duration.

I had not shot a frame of film since the mid-1980's (a long hiatus from photography during the 90's) and, after retiring from my business career, found I had a hankerin' for the organic feeling of shooting film. I considered appropriate film platforms for some time. Of course the sensible choice would have been to simply grab a Canon film body, such as the 1V, to mate with my dozen or so EF lenses and other accessories.

But sometimes you just have to do something a little nutty from the heart. I have been researching Leica cameras and lenses for many months. After scouring a couple of Jonathan Eastland's fine books ("M7 Handbook" and "Leica M Compendium"), Alessandro Pasi's "Leica: Witness to a Century", and books of many photographers who have used Leicas during the past 70 years I threw common sense out the window. In the final week of 2004 I became the proud owner of a new black Leica M7 with .58 viewfinder and a 35mm Summilux f/1.4 ASPH lens.

As I noted above, I love the Canon digital system. But after shooting just 3 rolls of film with my M7 I find myself in love with my Leica M7. Photography with this little camera is a matter of craftsmanship. It demands thought. It demands skill. It demands awareness. It's wonderful. The camera feels so finely crafted and so reliable it's more of a companion than a ward.

Well I could drone on for several more paragraphs, but I'm singing to the choir here. I'll likely be more of a lurker than contributor here, with many little tips to harvest from your collective experience and knowledge. But I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself.

-Ken Tanaka-
 
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Re: Hello Everyone

Ken Tanaka said:
In the final week of 2004 I became the proud owner of a new black Leica M7 with .58 viewfinder and a 35mm Summilux f/1.4 ASPH lens.

As I noted above, I love the Canon digital system. But after shooting just 3 rolls of film with my M7 I find myself in love with my Leica M7. Photography with this little camera is a matter of craftsmanship. It demands thought. It demands skill. It demands awareness. It's wonderful. The camera feels so finely crafted and so reliable it's more of a companion than a ward.
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Ooh, ooh, ooh! is all I can say; that's what my M2 and 35 'cron would like to be when they grow up! Yours was a serious commitment.

There's nothing quite like knowing you are using the best. It removes any doubt that the quality of the equipment will limit you in any way. And through your dialog I was sort of expecting to read you were interested in classic Canon RFs like the Canon 7... Not that those aren't fine cameras too, of course, and there seems to be a rush on them recently here in RFF!

Welcome! And your last name tripped a memory of a James Bond film in which the fictional head of Japanese security service had that same name. :) (Moonraker?)
 
Re: Hello Everyone

Doug said:
Welcome! And your last name tripped a memory of a James Bond film in which the fictional head of Japanese security service had that same name. :) (Moonraker?) [/B]
Click to expand...

Thanks, Doug. Yes, I think it was Moonraker. Tanaka turns out to be the 2nd most common Japanese name. (The most common is Watanabe.)

-Ken-
 
A big investment indeed, but immediate and effective treatment for that digital virus you were suffering from:D.

Welcome to the RFF. I like your explaination of your new M7 as a companion, I think most here will say they have a camera like that in their collections.
 
Welcome Ken! I wish I had a camera that was a long-time companion. Unfortunately, mine go out of whack right and left. My second Bessa R3a hit the can a few days ago. Waiting for a CL now.
 
Welcome to RFF Ken! We have one more friends to suffer the addiction with! :p
 
welcome and feel free to lurk or post as you desire.
it's a nice rig you have there and we all would love to see some pics someday also.

joe
 
Welcome, Ken! Ah, yes. The RF experience. It's different and compelling! Agree with you -- the Canon gear is excellent workhorse stuff -- but a Leica, that's an entirely different aesthetic!

Gene
 
Welcome Ken! :) Your new camera sounds wonderful - post some pics when you get the chance! I love my M6ttl and I came here from "big" SLR land - you will find that you need a new (and very much smaller) bag for your RF gear...

Allen - I can't believe that your 2nd R3A bit the dust - you must be disgusted. Get an M6 - you won't regret it!
 
Goodness, thank you all for such a warm welcome! I feel at home here already.

I have a funny anecdote to share. On a rather gray, cold day recently (the story of life here in Chicago in winter) I was shooting in a nearby park when I reached the end of the roll. Having not yet tried to change M7 film outdoors I thought that it was time to begin mastering this Ritual in the field. I found a reasonably dry bench and proceeded to follow the ancient Ritual.

What appeared to be a mother with three young daughters was standing nearby. One of the girls, perhaps 10 years old, seemed mesmerized by the Ritual. After following it for a few seconds she tugged her mother's coat and probably asked her what I was doing. From the corner of my eye I saw mom turn slightly to assess my activity. She then bent over and told the little girl, "I think the poor man broke his camera."

Overhearing this remark I could barely stifle my laughter! Yup, that's what the scene surely resembled.

Having completed the Ritual I slung the camera over my neck and headed off. But what was that slight "clanking" sound I kept hearing with each footstep? I quick glance down my chest revealed that I had not yet mastered the Ritual. I had not secured the hinged back when replacing the bottom plate. The barn door was open and the first frame was grinning out into open space.

Muttering at the loss of at least one frame, I returned to the bench to redress my error. The little girl again turned to stare at me, this time with an expression of sympathy. Maybe her mother's observation was correct after all. I am still a rangefinder grasshopper.
 
Nice story Ken! :) I sympathize...

Allen, check out the FS notices in the Leica forum on photo.net. An M6ttl sold for $1K the other day.
 
I sympathize too Ken. Thanks for the info Peter. Actually, it'll be about a month before I've got the funds together for an M6. In the meantime, I've got a CL on the way.
 
Welcome Ken and fun story, thanks for sharing ! :D

As for that compact RF camera as your loyal companion... Well I have the same feeling each time I acquire a new old camera, which is part of the dark side here... :D

Oscar
 
Welcome, fellow Leica enthusiast. That is a fine rig. It has taken me a while to get used to loading the M3 and M2. I can load a Nikon F or Nikon RF using the ever-ready case to hold everything , the back, film, etc, while I reload. I keep a compartment case handle for the M3 re-loads, but still prefer a table.

BUT compared to the IIIf, IT IS EASY! After a while it makes sense. I have yet to shoot a blank roll or rip the sprockets. And the WORST camera that I have to load is the Voigtlander Vitessa with its removable back and plunger wind. Its hard to describe, but that one I have jammed.
 
Hi Ken - Welcome. It looks like the Chicago RF contingent is growing. I work downtown and try to shoot every day - and now I'll keep my eye out for the guy with the shiny new Leica!

Don
 
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